Are There Few Saved

By Cindy Wyatt

Are there few people in the world that are saved or are there many saved ? The bible is very clear that there are few people in the world that will be saved.  Luke 13:23: Then said one unto him, Lord are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I  know you not whence ye are:

It's not that God doesn't want everyone to be saved. The bible even says that God is not willing that any should perish.  II Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  Repentance means when you agree with God that you are a sinner that needs a savior, who is Jesus. It doesn't mean to clean up your life, forsake your sins, or turn over a new life.

Most people in the world are on their way to hell because they have not yet entered through the narrow gate which is the way to eternal life, but instead they are on the broad way which leads to hell.

Matthew 7:13: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Don't confuse the strait way to mean a difficult way to enter in. It is easy to get saved; all you have to do is believe on Jesus and trust him as your savior. The strait way means it is the only way to heaven, not religion, not good works, not living a good life, etc. Putting all your trust in Jesus and what he did for you is the only way to heaven and that is the strait way. John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

One reason most people will not get saved is because they love darkness instead of the light. John 3:18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 5:40: And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Another reason most people are on the broad way to hell is because they are too proud to admit they are a sinner that needs Jesus' shed blood to save them and cleanse their heart from sin. They like to think that their good life or good deeds will get them to heaven, but it won't because everyone is a sinner who needs Jesus.  No matter how good you may be in the eyes of the world, the bible says all people are sinners. Romans 3:10: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You don't need to forsake all your sins to get saved; that would be impossible because we can't stop sinning. Just come to Jesus as a poor lost sinner and let him save you by his mercy. Jesus does all the work in your heart when you simply trust him. It is not turning over a new leaf or anything like that. We are saved by grace through faith.  Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works lest any man should boast.

The bible even says you have to  humble yourself to admit you're a sinner that needs Jesus to save you.  Luke 18:17: "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.  Just as a child depends upon their parents to take care of them, so when you receive Jesus as your savior, you are trusting in him to do everything for you that you cannot in any way do yourself. You cannot save yourselves with good works, a good life, etc., your only hope of heaven is by faith in Jesus alone and what he did for you and nothing else.  John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

Another reason most people will not go to heaven is because they are blinded by their religion. Religion is one of Satan's greatest tools that sends so many people to hell. It is not about going to church that gets you saved. You could go to church every Sunday for your entire life and still end up in hell one day if you have never put your trust in Jesus alone.  It's not about doing church work or following the rules of your religion.  Please put away everything your religion says and just put your trust in Jesus. Religion is the way to hell, Jesus alone is the way to heaven. Satan uses religion to blind people's eyes. II Corinthians 4:4: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Satan is the god of this world and wants to damn as many souls to hell as he possibly can; that is his goal. Satan doesn't care how much you go to church or how much religion you have, as long as you have never put all your trust in Jesus to have mercy on you and save your soul.

Another reason people will not get saved is because they think they have nothing to worry about because most of the people in the world are unsaved. It is true that most people are unsaved. That is why the bible calls it the broad way, but regardless, you should never want to go to hell just because most people are going there. Hell will not be any less hot just because most people are going there, and you won't be partying with your friends because you'll be torment with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. That is how the bible describes hell. The people that are in hell already do not want you to go there. If you have loved ones that died unsaved, they do not want you to go there. In the book of Luke chapter 16 is the story of a rich man who went to hell, but he didn't want his five brothers to go there. Lazarus was a poor beggar who went to heaven because he was saved. This is what the rich man said in Luke 16:23: And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24: And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16:27: Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house. 28: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Many people are not worried about going to hell because they think that a loving God would never send anyone to hell. The truth is that God IS a great God of love and he did everything he could do to keep you out of hell.  John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God loves you so much he sent his son Jesus into the world to die a horrible death on the cross and shed his blood to pay for all our sin and also raised him from the dead the third day. After he was raised from the dead, he went back to heaven and is preparing a place for all the people that put their trust in him.  John 14:1-3: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2: In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. God is a great God of love, but he is also a God of justice and he cannot allow sin into heaven. That is why he sent Jesus to die for our sins. Jesus took our punishment for us, so we could go to heaven on a free pass. What great love is that. God doesn't want anyone to go to hell, but everyone must make the decision for themselves personally, whether to receive the free gift of eternal life or to reject it. The choice is yours.

 In Acts 16 the question was asked about how to be saved. Acts 16:30: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved: 31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. The word "believe" doesn't mean to just believe all the facts about Jesus, that he was the son of God and that he died on a cross, etc., it means to go one step further and actually put all your faith upon him, trust him, depend upon him and rely upon him to save you, forgive your sins, wash your heart with his shed blood, and take you to heaven when you die. 

 If you have never put all your trust in Jesus to save your soul and apply his shed blood to your very own heart, I pray you will make that decision today before it is too late. No one is promised another tomorrow. If you would like to be saved, just call upon the name of the Lord and tell him you are now fully trusting in Jesus' payment for your sin and you believe that God has raised him from the dead, to give you eternal life. If you go to hell, it is not God's fault; he did everything he could to keep you from going there, but you have to make a personal decision to trust Jesus with all your heart. 

Romans 10:9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Poetry About Jesus And Salvation

What Will You Do With Jesus - You Must Decide

What will you do with Jesus? Will you accept him or reject him? The choice is yours. You cannot be neutral about Jesus; you must decide. The gift is already wrapped and ready for you to open it and receive the gift of salvation. It costs you nothing. Jesus has paid for it in full when he died on the cross for your sins and rose again the third day. The gift of salvation is offered to "whosoever will". That means anyone can be saved right now if they want to be. All you have to do is call upon the name of Jesus and tell him you know you are a sinner and that you deserve to go to hell, but you are now putting all your trust in what He did for you to save you from the penalty of your sin. The penalty of sin is an eternity in hell, the lake of fire, for all eternity. If it wasn't for Jesus, we would all be spending an eternity in hell, where there is fire and brimstone, weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. We are all sinners. Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Matthew 13:42: And shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:30: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Revelation 21:8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 20:15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Jesus loves you so much that he doesn't want you to go to hell. He loves you so much that he suffered immensely, with much more pain and agony then we could ever imagine. No one ever suffered like Jesus. What a great love that is. Jesus didn't deserve to die on a cruel cross because he was the sinless lamb of God who never ever sinned, but he was taking our place and had all our sins placed upon him so he could pay for them. His salvation is a free gift to us because he paid for it and he offers this gift to anyone and everyone. All you have to do is accept it and receive it. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, he was taking upon himself all of our sins and the sins of the whole world. I Peter 2:24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. All of our sins were placed upon Jesus as if he did it. He was taking our place, paying for our sins, and taking our punishment for us, so we wouldn't have to pay for our sins ourselves and go to hell forever. That is why salvation is a free gift to all who will receive it, because Jesus purchased it with his own shed blood on the cross and the sufferings he went through. He was beaten, whipped, mocked, and spit upon, and he endured it all because of his great love for us sinners, so that whoever trusts in him could go to heaven instead of hell. After that he was buried and arose from the grave three days later, proving that He was the Son of God and is preparing a place in heaven for all those who will receive his free gift of salvation. That is how much He loves us.  I John 2:2: And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Jesus died for everyone, so anyone can be saved if they want to be. The free gift is there waiting for you to receive it.  Jesus longs for you to receive it, but he won't force you to. It must be your own decision from your own heart. It is just like you can't force someone to love you; it has to come from their own heart and be their own decision whether to love you or not. Just imagine how you would feel if you offered someone a gift for Christmas that you purchased for them, and you put so much love into it, and they wouldn't receive it, they wouldn't open it, and said "I don't want it." That would make you feel very sad, but you can't force them to receive it. That is how Jesus feels when you reject his gift of salvation, after he loved you so much that he shed his blood and suffered for you. When Jesus was hanging on the cross he had you in mind and every other person ever born in the world too. Since Jesus died for all the sins of the whole world, that means that salvation is available to anyone, not forced upon anyone, because you must receive the gift yourself for it to become yours. You must apply Jesus' shed blood to your own heart as his payment for your very own sins. Jesus has paid for all your past, present, and future sins. All your sins were future when he was dying on the cross. Salvation is a personal decision that you must decide by yourself whether to accept it or reject it. John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Notice how it says you have to receive Jesus to become a child of God. It is not that since Jesus paid for all the sins of the world that everyone gets to go to heaven. No, it means that it is available to everyone, but you have to receive it by believing on Jesus. 

To sum it all up is a famous verse in the bible, John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The word "believe" means not to just believe the facts about Jesus, it means to put all your trust in him and rely on him totally to forgive your sins and take you to heaven when you die (his wonderful gift of salvation) because of the price he paid. When you receive Jesus, you are believing on him (putting your total 100% trust in what he did for you and 0% trust in anything you could ever do yourself).

God's Simple Plan Of Salvation

Heaven is a Gift, Not a Reward

Salvation is a gift freely offered to whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, with no strings attached.  Acts 16:30: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved .... A gift is something that is paid for by the giver, not the receiver.  The free gift of salvation was purchased by the sufferings and the shed blood of Jesus when he died on the cross to pay for our sins and then rose from the grace in three days. We cannot in any way at all earn or deserve to go to heaven. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 5:15: But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.  This means many were made sinners because Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden when he ate the forbidden fruit. We have now inherited a sin nature and everyone in the world ever born is a sinner, as the bible says in Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.  The bible says sin must be punished, so if we had to pay for our own sins we would have to go to hell forever because God is a just God and cannot allow sin to go into heaven.  But God loves us so much that he didn't want us to pay for our own sins and go to hell, so he sent his only begotten son, Jesus, to earth to live a perfect sinless life and pay for our sins through much mocking, scourging, and enduring the cruel cross in torture and agony.  No one ever suffered like Jesus. He didn't deserve the sufferings he went through because he never sinned, but he did it for us. He was taking our punishment for us.  Jesus paid the full price for our salvation. That is why salvation is a free gift to us because he paid for it.  A gift is paid for by the giver, not the receiver.  A person only needs to put their full trust in Jesus' sacrifice and what he did for us on the cross, and how he rose from the grave, to receive this free gift.  John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.  Jesus wants to save you, but he will not force you to receive this free gift of salvation.  God loves you and has already done everything he can do to save you. There is nothing else he can do. You have to decide for yourself whether you will receive salvation or reject it. It has to be one or the other;. There is no other way to have your sins forgiven and washed and to spend eternity in heaven.  John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Being saved by grace means we receive something we didn't earn or deserve, but was given to us freely as a gift, and mercy means we don't receive what we do deserve, which is an eternity in hell.  Titus 3:5a: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us ....  Titus 3:7: That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

You may think that just believing on Christ is too easy and there must be something else a person needs to do to go to heaven, but it truly is easy to get saved because Jesus did the hard part for us. To clarify what believing on Jesus means, it doesn't mean to just believe about him or believe he was the Son of God and that he died on the cross.  To believe on him means you put all your faith in him and what he did for you. You must trust in him alone completely and rely and depend on his sacrifice and shed blood as your only hope of redemption and going to heaven when you die.  Jesus paid it all. You have to apply Jesus' payment to your own heart personally and have zero faith in anything you do.  All our own self righteousnesses are as filthy rags.  Isaiah 64:6: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.  When you put your total faith and trust in Jesus to give you the free gift of eternal life, that is when you become born again, because no one is just born believing on Jesus as savior.  Some people will say "I've always believed in Jesus", but that is not true.  There has to be a time in your life when you realize you are a sinner that deserves to go to hell and that Jesus loves you and paid for your sins and you put your faith in everything Jesus did for you to keep you out of hell.  John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

There are many people and false prophets in the world today, who say well, sure you have to believe in Jesus, but you also have to do good works for Jesus too; that is so false.  You cannot be saved if you are trusting in yourself one iota. It has to be 100% total faith in Christ, and 0% yourself. It's a free gift. If you had to pay one dime for it, then it wouldn't be free.  Galatians 2:21: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.  That means if there was anything we could do to help save ourselves, then Christ died for nothing.  Why would Jesus go through all the suffering he went through if we could be saved by doing anything additional to get saved, like good works, etc.  If you think you have to do something else other than only fully trusting Christ, that is like saying Christ's payment was not enough and was not sufficient, but it IS sufficient. There is absolutely nothing to be added to it or subtracted from it.  Jesus is enough period, he paid it all. 

Some will say you have to serve Christ faithfully and make him lord of your life in order to go to heaven, but that is not true either. If that was the case, then going to heaven would be a reward instead of a gift.  After you get saved you can choose to serve Jesus with your life if you want to try to get other people saved and to receive the free gift that you have received, and the bible says there will be rewards in heaven for that, but actually getting saved is an unearned, undeserved merciful gift, by the grace of God. 

All you have to do to receive the free gift of salvation is to admit you're a sinner who deserves to go to hell, but you will now put all your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you when he paid for your sins on the cross and rose from the grave in three days.

God's Simple Plan Of Salvation

It's Easy To Be Saved

By Cindy Wyatt

It is easy to be saved because Jesus did the hard part because of his great love for us.  All we have to do is believe and receive it. There are many false prophets in the world today who pervert the gospel and complicate it by saying you have to do more than just believe, that that is too easy. Galatians 1:6: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  Salvation is easy.  It's as easy as depositing money in a bank when you put your trust in Jesus. In the bible salvation is likened to eating bread or opening a door. How hard is it to eat a piece of bread or open a door?  John 10:9a: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.  John 6:51: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: That's why John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The false prophets say you have to give up your sins or try to quit sinning and make Jesus Lord of your life and commit to following him completely and living for him or you're not saved. That is so unbiblical and is actually a false gospel that will cause many to go to hell because instead of trusting alone in Jesus and what he did, they are trusting in what they do. No one can stop sinning; that's why we need a savior in the first place. You just need to come to Jesus as a lost sinner that can in no way stop sinning and put your trust in what He did for you to keep you out of hell; how he died on the cross, shed his blood to cleanse us from our sins, and rose again the third day. He paid the price for our sins so we wouldn't have to pay for them ourselves and go to hell for all eternity, where Jesus doesn't want us to go, which is why he purchased salvation for anyone who will put their trust in Him only.  Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

False teachers have a false definition of repent.  They say repent means to repent of your sins, but the bible never says to repent of your sins. In the bible, God is the one who repents the most, so clearly repent does not mean repent of your sins because God has no sin. What the word repent means according to the bible is changing your mind about God and Jesus and the only hope of ever receiving eternal life. What it means is to turn from unbelief to believing on Christ and trusting only him for your salvation, not trusting in anything you can do like giving up sins, turning over a new leaf, going to church, etc. It means to stop trusting in your religion  and put your trust in Jesus. It is not trusting in your own self righteousness, for the bible even says our own righteousness is like filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Salvation is a totally free gift; all you have to do is receive it. It is free because Jesus paid for it over 2000 years ago when he died on the cross for our sins to pay for them, and then he arose from the grave three days later.  All you have to do to be born again is receive the free gift of salvation that is offered to anyone who will receive it. Jesus died for everyone, but only the people who personally receive the free gift for themselves will go to heaven. John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Repenting is when you admit that you are a sinner that deserves to go to hell for your sins, but you will now accept Jesus' payment for your sin and apply his payment to your heart. When you do that, that is when you are born again. You are then made a new creature. II Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. That is why it is called being born again. It is putting 100% faith and trust in what Jesus did for you and putting 0% trust in anything you could ever do to earn it. We don't deserve salvation, we cannot earn it. It is only through Christ's sufferings and shed blood that he gave us because he loves us so much. It is all through mercy that we can be saved. Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

It's easy to be saved because Jesus did the hard part, not us. Please don't listen to false teachers, who are wolves in sheep's clothing, like John MacArthur, who wrote a book called "Hard To Believe".  For a more detailed article on John MacArthur click here. People like that will say it is too easy to just believe, that you must do more than that or you're not saved. That is so untrue.  They just confuse people and complicate the gospel. The gospel is not complicated.  You either believe on Jesus for salvation or you don't believe on him. John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Just listen to what the bible says, not false teachers. The word believe means to trust. You just need to put your trust in what Jesus did for you.  John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  It is not hard to believe. The way to be saved is just to look to Jesus. John 3:14-15: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  It is clear, clear, clear that whosoever believeth on him receives the gift of eternal life.  It is not trying to live it, it's believing. There will be no one in Heaven boasting about what a great Christian they were and how they lived it and did so much for Jesus. No, the people in Heaven will be saying "I'm only here because of God's amazing grace and saving a poor sinner like me who doesn't deserve it." Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Here are a couple stanzas from the hymn called "At Calvary" that pictures what salvation is. Calvary is where Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

O the love that drew salvation's plan

O the grace that brought it down to man

O the mighty gulf that God did span

At Calvary

Mercy there was great and grace was free

Pardon there was multiplied to me 

There my burdened soul found liberty

At Calvary

Our pardon was purchased by Jesus at Calvary. He did the hard part with all his suffering he went through for us so that we could go to Heaven on a free pass. If you think that believing is not enough, that you also have to live right, etc., then that is saying Jesus' sacrifice for us was not enough; but it IS enough.  His sacrifice is sufficient. Our salvation is fully paid for by Jesus alone. If we had to do anything more added, other than just believe, then that would mean Christ died for nothing. Why would Jesus go through all that suffering if we could be saved by what we ourselves do. Galatians 2:21: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. If you have never received this free gift, I hope you will do so right away because we never know how much time we have left on earth.  You only have two choices of where you will spend eternity and the choice is up to you. You can either pay for your own sins and go to hell forever, or you can receive the free gift of salvation that was paid for by Jesus and live eternally with him in Heaven.  Jesus loves you and longs to save you.  Just trust him and put your faith in him alone. There is a wonderful song called Only Trust Him and one stanza says "Only trust Him; only trust Him, Only trust Him now, He will save you; He will save you, He will save you now." 

If you would like to put your trust in Jesus now, you can tell that to God, and pray something like this, remembering that it is not mere words that save you, but the faith in your heart.

 Dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I know I deserve to go to Hell, but I believe you died on the cross and rose again the third day to pay for my sins. I am now putting all my trust in you and what you did for me. Please save me now. I am only trusting you Jesus, to receive your gift of eternal life, Amen

Poetry About Jesus And Salvation

What Does it Mean to Be Born Again

Many people have heard the phrase "a born again Christian," but have absolutely no idea what that means. I will try to show you from the bible what it means to be born again. The third chapter of the book of John tells us that we must be born again to have everlasting life. John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Absolutely no one will make it into heaven unless they have been born again. There is no other way. Jesus says in John 14:6: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me. Since we know it is imperative to be born again in order to enter heaven someday, let's see what the bible says about it in John chapter 3.

John 3:1: There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. So Nicodemus was a very religious man called a Pharisee. A Pharisee is a person who thinks keeping the law, being a good person, and attending church faithfully is the way to go to heaven, but Jesus showed Nicodemus he was wrong and that he needed to be born again (get saved) in order to enter the kingdom of God.  Being religious or living a good life will not get you to heaven.

John 3:2: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4: Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 

Nicodemus was talking about his physical birth, when he came into this world in the flesh from his mother's womb, but Jesus was talking about a new birth, a spiritual birth.

5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Just as we are born in the flesh the first time we are born, we are born of the Spirit when we are born again. As in a moment in time we were born into this world as a human being, in a moment in time we are born again of the Spirit when we put our trust in Jesus to save us.

7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

So you see, the first time you are born in the flesh you can actually see your body and that you are a person, but when you are born again, it is a spiritual birth and you cannot see it. The bible says it is like the wind, you can hear it and see it blowing things around, but you cannot actually see it; it is invisible. 

So the question now is, how do you become born again and receive new spiritual life so that you can enter the kingdom of heaven. 

To be born again the bible says you must repent. Luke 13:3: I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Mark 1:15: And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.  

So clearly by these scriptures it shows that it is imperative for you to repent in order to be born again and have your name written down in heaven for all eternity.  Repent and believe the gospel means to repent of your unbelief and believe the gospel as payment for your own sins personally,  It means to apply the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross upon your own heart. You must put all of your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you and absolutely no trust whatsoever in anything you yourself do. It is all faith in Christ alone and nothing else. If you are trusting in being a good person, going to church, or being religious, then you need to repent of that and only trust Jesus. The moment you put all your trust in Jesus, that is when you become born again. The word repent actually means to change your mind. So say you are trusting in your religion, you would change your mind about that and trust only in Jesus. There are some people that would pervert the word repent and say that it means to repent of your sins or stop sinning, but the bible says no such thing. It is impossible to stop sinning; that is why we need a savior, to save us from our sins and the penalty of them,  When you put your trust in Jesus he forgives you of all your sins and cleanses you from your sin with his shed blood. I John 1:7; ..... and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  Rev. 1:5: .....and washed us from our sins in his own blood.  You only need to come to Jesus as you are, put all your trust in him, and say "Lord save me". When you do that, he will do all the working in your heart and change your heart. II Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Some people will say "Well I've always believed in Jesus".  My friend, that is not being born again. You may have always believed there was a Jesus and that he is the Son of God, but in order to go to heaven, you must put all of your faith in him. It is not just believing about the gospel and Jesus, it is putting your faith in the gospel and Jesus that saves you. You may believe someone is a good doctor, but not go to him and trust him for your treatment.  It is the same way with being born again, you must come to Jesus as a lost sinner that can in no way save yourself and trust him to save your soul and give you the free gift of eternal life. You must receive this free gift personally for yourself to be saved. John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. It's that simple, my friend; if you accept the free gift offered, you become God's child and inherit eternal life.  If you do not accept the gift and say "no I don't want it", you will be doomed to hell for all eternity to pay for your own sins.  Notice how it says "become the sons of God".  You were not always a child of God, you become one when you receive Christ as your own personal savior, and that is when you are born again.  John 3:7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

It conclusion, the bible divides the world into two groups of people, those who believe on Jesus for salvation and receive everlasting life, and those who do not believe on Jesus and so must pay for their own sins forever in hell.  John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.  If you have never placed your complete trust in what Jesus did for you, I hope that you will trust him today and receive this wonderful gift and be born again.  Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  II Corinthians 9:15: Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

If you would trust Jesus as your savior, just tell God in your own words that you know you are a sinner that deserves to go to hell, but you are putting all your faith in what Jesus did for you when he died on the cross, was buried, and rose again the third day as payment for your sin so you wouldn't have to go to hell, but could go to heaven instead.

Poetry About Jesus And Salvation

What Does It Mean to Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ by Mrs. Oliver B. Greene

This is an article written by Mrs. Oliver B. Greene to explain how to believe on Jesus for salvation.

The Bible teaches, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31), But how does one believe on Jesus? How can we know when we have believed on Him?  To many, "believing" was easy - but to countless thousands, the words "believe" and "faith" are mysteries hard to understand. 

They say, "I have always believed in Jesus, I have always believed the Bible; yet I do not know whether or not I am saved."  That little word "faith" stops them - yet it is faith that makes salvation so simple and so easy that man has a hard time accepting it. 

Paul said, "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; In whom the god of the world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (II Corinthian 4:3,4),

The devil has blinded the spiritual eyes of mankind to the simplicity of salvation, and put it into the human heart that man must DO something in order to be saved.  "Faith" is the stumbling stone.  Some interpret faith to mean praying, working, feeling - and countless other things that have to do with man's efforts and emotions.

Perhaps it is because I, too, used to wonder if I really had "saving faith," that I have so much sympathy and patience with those who do not understand.  I grant you it is a miserable position to be in.

It is not God's will that we live in uncertainty.  It is His will that we know and understand what "believing" means.  Therefore I want to tell you, as simply as I know how, what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

You know that Jesus is the Savior, and that according to Romans 3:23 "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  All are born in sin and are therefore on the road to hell.  You know that Jesus took your place.  He died for you - your substitute, your Savior.  You also know that before His death can help you, you must RECEIVE Him of your own free will. 

Now, you have acknowledged yourself a sinner and know in your heart that you want to be saved. You know that by receiving Jesus you can be saved, but your problem is HOW to receive Jesus.

You have never seen him.  If you could reach out and literally put your hand in His nail-scarred hand, that would be easy - and you would not hesitate to say, "Yes, Jesus, I will take you as my Savior."  But you cannot do that, and some of you do not know how you will know when you have received Him.  The most simple way I know to show you how to receive Christ by faith and to know when you are saved is just this:

Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  In other words, God says, "I have given you the record of how I love you, and I have sent Jesus into the world to die for you.  I have told you that if you will receive My Son I will make you My child.  You will not be an adopted child - but I will give you a new birth; you will be born into My family and become My child (John 1:12, 13).  I have told you all of this in My Word.  Now when you are ready to receive My Son, just call - and I will do the saving!"

Born Again by the Word

I Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed (like our first birth), but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."  That is what you want, is it not?  You want to be born again.  Jesus said, "Except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ... Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:3, 7).  God's Word says we are born again by the Word of God.  Keep that in mind now as we turn to Ephesians 2:8.  (We will use several Scripture passages, turn to them and mark them in you Bible.

Saved by Faith
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8).  We are saved entirely by grace - nothing added, nothing taken away.  Salvation is all of God - God's grace; but we have to receive it by faith.  (We cannot see Jesus nor literally take hold of Him).  Faith is believing what?  Peter says we are born again by the Word; so then - we BELIEVE THE WORD.  Our faith is in the Word of God - not in our feelings, our prayers, our life, or anything we can do.  Faith is believing God.  (Notice, I did not say "believing IN God," but believing God.)

God says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). God wants you to BELIEVE Him.  When you call on Him and ask Him to save you, and deep in your heart you sincerely tell Him you will receive Jesus as your Savior, God wants you to KNOW you are saved because He said He would save you.  That is believing God.  He wants you to trust Him to do exactly what He said He would do - and He said He would save you if you called on Him.

Does Salvation Produce Feelings?

If you pray for God to save you and then you say, "I know I am saved because I feel better," you have faith in the wrong thing.  Some people have faith in a dream, some in visions, some in feelings, and others in emotions.  But by the authority of God's Word I declare that if you are basing your salvation on any of those things, you do not have "saving faith."  Saving faith is BELIEVING GOD, instead of believing your feelings.

We are born again by the Word of God.  If faith is believing - then we must believe the Word.  I am just as sure I am saved, as I am sure the Bible is the Word of God.  Now what does this add up to?  You hear the record God gives of His Son - that Jesus died for you, and if you will receive Him as your Savior, God will "born" you into the heavenly family and you will be His child.  When you have heard God's plan for your redemption, you call on God and ask Him to save you.  You believe God and trust Him to save you because He said He would.  Then - you know you are saved because God said He would save you.

Have you sincerely asked God to save you?  Have you believed God?  It does not matter how you FEEL about it - God wants you to believe Him and His Word.  Peter says that the Word "liveth and abideth forever."  Your feelings will never change nor alter the Word of God.  The Word never changes - but your feelings do.  Never put your faith in your feelings - but in the Word of God.

Now let us go back to John 1:12: "As many as received Him...."  You know in your own mind and heart that you want to receive Jesus.  You know you told God you would receive Jesus, and you know you meant it.  Any sane person knows whether or not he wants to receive Jesus, and he knows whether or not he really means it when he asks God to save him.  The devil does not make you doubt that part; what he tries to make you doubt and wonder about is whether or not God kept His word. 

God Cannot Lie
According to Hebrews 6:18, it is "impossible for God to lie."  And Paul wrote to Titus concerning the "hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus1:2).

When you, the very best you know how, receive Jesus as your Savior, that is as far as you can go, the rest is up to God.  Are you going to believe God?

Faith is believing.

We are born again "by the Word of God."

So - I am born again by believing God's Word!

He said if I would call, He would save me.  I have sincerely called - and I know He saved me because He said he would.

Those who have sincerely called and still do not know whether or not they are saved simply DO NOT BELIEVE GOD.  Yes, they believe there is a God, they believe Jesus died and rose again,  they believe God WILL save them - but they are not willing to believe God DOES save them NOW, this is not taking Him at His Word.  They are not willing to believe He saved them because He said He would.  They want Him to prove His truth by giving them some emotional experience.  They are not willing to believe Him on His Word alone.  They insult Him by asking for proof that He told the truth - but "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent; hath He said, and shall He not make it good?"  (Numbers 23:19).  

Nine out of ten people wait for a "feeling" before they are willing to believe God.  They ask God to save them, then tarry for Him to give them a feeling - and then they will believe Him.  Do you not see how wrong this would be?  You would then believe because of "feelings" - not because of God's Word.  Those who are not willing to believe God's Word are calling God a liar.  "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that BELIEVETH NOT God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son" (I John 5:10).  

The record God gave was that He would save whosoever called upon Him for salvation.  Anyone who calls upon God and then says he does not know whether or not he is saved does not believe God and has made Him a liar.

Oh, how simple salvation is!  God wants you to BELIEVE Him.  We are saved by grace through FAITH.  Faith is believing.  What do we believe?  Remember - we are "born again by the Word."  Believe it because God said it.  Do not ask for proof; that is not believing God, and it proves that you do not take Him as His Word.  

Some people treat God as though they cannot trust His Word.  They want proof (in an unusual feeling, a vision, or dream) that He meant what He said, and that He did what He said He would do.  Feelings or no feelings, I know I am saved, praise God, because I know His Word is true, and He said He would save me if I called on Him.  I know I am saved because God said He would save me!  I have God's Word for my salvation - do you?

May God help you to believe Him.  "For what saith the Scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3).

Jesus said, 'He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him, THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN, THE SAME SHALL JUDGE HIM in the last day" (John 12:48).

Spiritual Growth is Different

I believe many people have difficulty in "believing" because they have salvation and Christian growth confused.  We have discussed salvation by faith, but Christian growth is an entirely different matter.

1 Peter 2:2 says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may GROW thereby."

2 Peter 3:18 says, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 

After we are born into God's family by the Word of God, we grow.  In this, many people become confused.  They expect to be and want to be mature Christians when they are just newborn babes.  The older we grow in grace, the more we will read the Word.  The longer we live for Jesus, the more joy we have.  Truly - "Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before."

Paul admonished the Ephesians to "be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine....but....grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:14, 15).

Take God at His Word; do not doubt Him any longer.  Be saved NOW - and have the assurance of your salvation!

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:11-13). 

THAT SETTLES IT!

Having a Relationship With Jesus is not the Same as Salvation

by Cindy Wyatt

The question is not "do you have a relationship with Jesus?" The question is "are you saved?"  There is a very common and popular teaching these days coming from many churches and pastors, even independent fundamental Baptist churches, that says in order to get saved and have eternal life you must have a relationship with Jesus.  Many say "begin a relationship with Jesus."  It is true that we must know Jesus to be saved.  In that sense it is okay to say we must accept Jesus as our savior personally.  So it is okay to say, do you know Jesus?  John 17:3: And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.  But you don't begin a relationship with Christ to get saved, you simply put your trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross and receive the gift of eternal life that was paid for by him.  Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  And the bible also puts it this way: You must receive Jesus.  John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  It is very misleading to tell unsaved people that they need to have a relationship with Jesus to get saved.  An unsaved person has no idea how to have a relationship with Jesus.  What they need is to get saved first by believing on the name of Jesus, trusting in his shed blood, and receiving the free gift of salvation. 

It is also a dangerous teaching because it can lead to people thinking they are saved when they are not.  Some people when they hear all you need to do to be saved is have a relationship with Jesus, they will start praying and think they are saved because they supposedly pray and talk to God.  Many unsaved people pray.  Just praying alone does not save you, you have to come to a place in your life where you admit you are a sinner and deserve to go to hell for eternity, and then call upon the name of the Lord to save you. Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. You must put all your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross to pay for your sins.  That is how you get saved, not by starting to pray and trying to have a relationship with Jesus.  In fact, in Matthew 7:23 it says this: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast our devils: and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23: And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  These people thought they were saved, but Jesus said "I never knew you", so they ended up going to hell.  Even though they did all those things in Jesus's name, they were still unsaved.  The only prayer that God will hear from an unsaved person is in Luke 10:13:... "God be merciful to me a sinner" or something similar to that, where you admit you are a sinner and can only be saved by God's mercy when you put your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross to pay for your sins and rose again the third day.

Nowhere in the bible does it ever use the term relationship or anything close to that in regards to salvation, but the one word used to describe salvation is believe.  In the book of John the word believe or believeth is used over 85 times.  This is the main book in the bible that talks about how to get saved; that is why it uses the word believe, believe, believe over and over again.  And also in the book of Acts is where a man asked what he needed to do to be saved and the apostles said to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Acts 16:30: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  
31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

There are many saved people who never read the bible, never pray, never go to church, never do anything for God, but they know in their heart that they have definitely trusted in the name of Jesus for salvation and have been born again.  These are the people who are saved, but do not have a relationship or close communion with Christ.  They are missing out on all the joy and happiness that being an obedient child of God brings, but they are still saved and will go to heaven when they die.  That is the difference between having a relationship with Christ and salvation.  We should walk with Jesus and talk with him by reading the bible, applying it to our life, and praying and being filled with the Holy Spirit, but not all saved people do.  It is like sometimes when a child grows up and moves away from home, they will go for years without speaking to their parents.  They still know their parents, they are just not having a relationship with them.  They are still their parents child, just like a saved person is still a child of God, even if they never pray or read the bible.

It is much better to be saved and to be in fellowship with the Lord.  Jesus wants us to have a relationship with him AFTER we get saved so that he can bless us and use us, but saying you have to have a relationship with Jesus in order to be saved is getting the cart before the horse. We get saved FIRST and then grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and get to know him better and learn to obey him if we want to follow him and live for him.
II Peter 3:18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen.
Jesus wants us to follow him and be close to him and to be our friend, but that's not what saves us.  A wonderful passage of scripture about this is in John chapter 15.
John 15:14: Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. 
15: Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Did you notice how it says the word "if".  There is a condition to being Jesus's friend and that is to keep his commandments.  The only condition for salvation is faith.  That is the difference.

To follow Jesus and keep his commandments the best we know how, as we learn and grow, brings so much joy.  1 Peter 1:7: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
I Peter 1:8: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.: 
.
John 15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Notice, it doesn't say to believe on him for your joy to be full, but to keep his commandments for your joy to be full.  Salvation is free, but after we are saved we should try to keep Jesus' commandments so we can have the full joy of our salvation. We should try to obey his commandments just like he obeyed his Father's commandments.

Living for Jesus is definitely the most joyous and rewarding life that any saved person could possibly live here on earth and it will be even better when we get to heaven and receive the rewards for our labor and the works we did for the Lord.  Even when we suffer for Christ's sake, and especially when we suffer for him, we will have great joy. 

I Peter 4:12: Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14: If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

So it is one thing to be saved and it is another thing to have a relationship with Christ.  Salvation is free, having a relationship takes work. It involves being in God's word and learning more and more about Jesus and striving to please him.  Of course, we are not perfect and all of us have sin in our life, and also we are all in different stages of growth in our walk with the Lord. We fail many times and fall into sin, but Jesus will forgive us and cleanse us if ye confess our sins. He is still our friend, though. 
I John 1:3: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4: And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 
5: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you are reading this and you do not know Jesus as your own personal savior, you do not need to begin a relationship with Jesus in order to be saved, you only simply need to believe on Jesus and trust him with your heart as the one who died on the cross to pay for your sins and rose again the third day.  

To any saved person who is reading this, I would like to encourage you to love Jesus, walk with him, and be his friend (having a relationship with him), so that you will know all the abundant joy that he has in store for you, and that you will lay up treasures in heaven and receive great rewards there.  It will be worth it when you come to the end of your life and you hear Jesus say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant".
Matthew 25:21: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

For more information on how to trust Jesus as your savior, please click here for a clear presentation of the gospel.